Running Beside the Veteran
by MoonRose91
Summary: When you spend your life running, you can't, won't, stop. So, you just need to find people who can run with you. Rose was able. She fills a needed role. And then there is the role of someone who needs care. That is a role for someone else.  :Has OC:
1. Meeting in Order? How Did That Happen?

**Running Beside the Veteran, a Doctor Who fanfic**

**Disclaimer:** I own NOTHING! Except some of the alien races, Cosmina, and some of the plot that involves Cosmina direction and wasn't in the TV show. I think I covered it all.

**Author's Note:** I don't care if you hate the OC. Just don't flame me please. I'll report you. Oh, and give a big, huge, giant, and warm round of applause to my wonderful and amazing beta, TV-A-Holic!

Without my beta, you would not have this fanfic. If you don't like it, realize that it came from my mind, so don't go yelling at my beta either. Just yell at me. If you cuss me out, I'll just report you, simple as that.

Thank you.

**Chapter One: Meeting in Order? How Did **_**That**_** Happen?**

The TARDIS slowly came into view within a wood clearing. The front door opened and the Ninth Doctor (he preferred just the Doctor) was dressed in all black, from his black jacket to the jumper, trousers, and shoes. Even his strap watch was black, dressed in mourning for what he had done. His hair was buzzed practically off, accenting his big ears, and he gently rubbed the side of the blue box. "Why did you bring me here?"

The box offered no answer, though he was knocked out his pensive mood by a shriek above his head. He immediately looked up before moving to catch the tiny girl who had fallen out of the tree above him. They both toppled to the ground and the girl scuttled off quickly, almost getting caught in her brown skirt, while the man stood up. "What were you doing up there? You know, if I hadn't been there, you would have been severely hurt, right?" the Doctor demanded, glaring at the young girl.

He paused when he saw her shaking and carefully knelt down. "You all right?"

The girl, in her tough brown dress and auburn curls stared up at him. Her grey eyes were almost impossibly wide while staring up at him, as if trying to dissect him. The Doctor leaned back slightly under the gaze, though took in her sickly sheen over otherwise tanned skin. The girl shrugged and he resisted the urge to sigh, before he clapped his hands on his knees. "Okay then! Well, I have to look after my ship. You…go away now," he stated as he stood and began to wander around the TARDIS.

He stopped when he heard someone following him and turned to stare at the girl. She was copying his movements, even trying to walk around like him. She looked up at him and grinned sheepishly before looking back at the last TARDIS. Her head twitched to the side. "Go. Home," the Doctor ordered.

"No one home," she explained simply.

"Oh, you do talk. And what do you mean, no one home? Surely your parents are worried for you! Get!"

The girl shook her head, auburn curls hitting her cheeks. Looking down at her again, the Doctor really didn't think she looked all that well. She was shaking more and kept reaching up to touch her head, as if it was paining her. The girl didn't even seem to realize that she was doing it. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned her before reading what it said. He scanned her again and reread it, before sighing. He put the sonic screwdriver away and pressed his hand to her forehead. "When did you start to feel sick?"

"Right before I fell out of the tree. That hurt. It kind of hurts right now. Can you fix it?"

"Why do you think I can fix it?"

The girl shrugged. "How old are you and what's your name?" the Doctor asked, gently pressing his fingers to the pulse point on her neck.

"I'm five and my name is Cosmina," she answered.

"I'm called the Doctor and I'm older than you can count."

"I can count pretty high."

"Oh? Well, if you can count so high, can you tell me where I am? Planet, near-by settlements, anything?"

"You're near the Avalonian settlement of Nyvar on Drakis, the planet. Not Drakis, the moon, because that is where the Dawnings and Duskings live."

The Doctor smiled a bit and nodded before pulling out a banana. "Here. Entertain yourself while I check out my ship. And then, I'm taking you home. Just…sit and _don't move_!" he ordered, having her sit next to the TARDIS.

"I can't eat Earth produce. It upsets my stomach," she stated, holding it back up to him.

"Well, hold onto it," he muttered, distracted as he tried to see if it was an outward thing of the TARDIS that pulled her off-course, not taking into account what she just said.

A few seconds later, he peered back around the TARDIS to stare at her. "How did you know that?"

The girl paused in twirling the banana around her fingers and looked up. "Know what?"

"Where it was from."

Cosmina shrugged and went back to twirling it around her fingers. He ducked back around, pondering what it was before sighing. The TARDIS went off course and landed here, but why? He scrubbed his hand across his clipped scalp in annoyance and turned back around the TARDIS, to the front doors. He opened them up and entered in, searching through the computers. He was half-expecting to have the girl follow, but she seemed to be listening. "Of course. First person I ever meet who _listens_ and it's a five year old girl on Drakis," he muttered, shaking his head.

He left the ship and looked around, before remembering she was on the other side of the TARDIS. He called her name, only to have no answer and walked quickly around, almost worried, only to find that Cosmina hadn't moved, but asleep. The banana was lying in the grass, just out of her fingers' reach.

He picked it up and pocketed it before he carefully scanned Cosmina again. He sighed sadly when he read it again. "The only Dawning/Avalyn hybrid in existence and your genetic code is trying to kill you," he murmured.

He put the sonic screwdriver away and carefully lifted Cosmina up into his arms. "Okay, now…where is this settlement? The sooner I get you back, the sooner I can leave," he muttered.

The five year old only stirred and did not help. The Doctor rolled his eyes and muttered something about stupid humanoids and 'couldn't you have picked a better species to look like?' before he walked in the direction he hoped was the settlement. He wasn't going to go back and search for it through the TARDIS. Couldn't risk the girl waking up _inside_. Just what he _didn't_ need; someone to slow him down.

\\\

What he meant was 'someone to care about.' And it was exactly what he did need. But, when you lose everything to a war, and you were the one who did it, sometimes you don't want to care anymore. To love, to feel for.

However, when you are the last, that is exactly what you do need. Luckily, the Doctor was going to be getting someone to care about him. Two someones. One was just going to be a little late.


	2. After 'The End of the World'

**Running Beside the Veteran, a Doctor Who fanfic**

**Chapter Two – After **_**The End of the World**_

The TARDIS solidified and the Doctor looked out before ducking back in. "Come on, Rose! Just what you need! A place thriving and full of life! One life in particular! Just keeps going and going, despite the odds!" he exclaimed, walking out.

Rose followed, her blonde hair falling around her face, brown eyes curious. "Where are we Doctor?" She asked, looking around.

"One of the forests of Drakis, about two miles south-east of the Avalonian settlement of Nyvar," the Doctor answered cheerfully, looking around.

"Have you been here before?"

"Yep! Was here…a year ago, maybe. The person I'm bringing you to see was still alive, despite the fact she _should_ be dead."

"Why?"

The Doctor was saved from answering when an excited, happy voice shouted, "Doctor!"

The Doctor and his companion turned to the voice to see a seven year old girl racing towards them. He grinned and caught her up, hugging her briefly before he set her down. "What are you doing running around like that? Didn't you just recover from being sick, Cosmina?" He asked, ruffling up her hair, despite the girl's protests.

"Ah, Cosmina, meet Rose. Rose, meet Cosmina. Rose is a friend of mine," he added and Cosmina smiled up at Rose.

"Hi."

"Hello."

"How did you meet the Doctor?" Cosmina asked.

"He blew up where I worked."

"Oh. He gave me a banana. I didn't eat it though. Earth produce upsets my stomach. Don't know how I know that," Cosmina answered and suddenly held her head, sinking to the ground. Rose let out a concerned sound and took a step forward, though not sure of how to approach the girl. "Is she all right?"

The Doctor followed her movement, kneeling next to Cosmina, not answering Rose right away. He didn't bother to scan the child, knowing what was wrong. "Cosmina, where does it hurt?" he asked, trying to keep her from scratching at her head. She had lost some hair like that last time.

"Just…all over. It feels like my brain is on fire, in the back and it's not stopping," she whimpered and the Doctor carefully pressed his fingers to her pulse point on her neck again.

"Calm down, Cosmina. Breathe. Count the pauses between each breath, okay? Come on, you can do it," he murmured, and carefully brought his free hand up to hold her head.

Rose carefully knelt next to her in concern. "Doctor…"

"Shh. This is, unfortunately, usual," he interrupted.

Tears slid through scrunched eyelids and she opened them, startling the doctor as they were briefly a brilliant amber color before fading back to gray. She shivered and rubbed her head, before looking between the Doctor and Rose, though Rose looked more concerned. "What happened?"

"You had a headache. Your mum home?" the Doctor answered, carefully looking into her eyes.

Not a sign of that one color. The Doctor barely registered the fact he was running a comforting hand through her hair. Rose watched the interaction, unsure of where to fit in.

"Yeah, she is," Cosmina answered after some thought.

"Okay then. Let's get you home!" the Doctor answered and carefully lifted her up.

He sighed when she easily situated into his arms. "Why is it that I always end up carrying you?" he asked and Cosmina, barely any bigger from the age of 5, shrugged.

The Doctor shook his head and looked back at Rose. "Come on, Rose! Let's go meet an Avalonian and a Dawning! It'll be fun! Oh, be warned; Dawnings are notoriously 'holier then thou,'" he called back and Cosmina giggled a bit.

/

The Doctor seemed to glare at the bedroom door while Rose put another cool cloth across Cosmina's forehead. "How did she get sick so fast?" Rose asked, looking up at the Doctor.

"Her genetic code. It is tearing her apart."

Rose stared at the girl. "Why?"

"Because she is impossible. Dawning and Avalyn. Avalyn's have a…psychic connection to their planet, supposedly. Her mother doesn't and passed herself off as an Avalonian," the Doctor explained, still glaring at the door.

Rose looked over her shoulder at him. "Where is her mother anyway?"

"Hiding."

The Doctor turned and focused on Cosmina, pulling out the screwdriver. He scanned her and looked at the readings. "And her genetic code is deteriorating much faster then before," he added softly, reaching forward to run a hand through her sweat trapped hair.

Rose changed the cloth again and looked up at the Doctor. "I watched the Earth end and now I am going to watch a little girl's life expire?" Rose asked in a choked voice.

"Watch."

Rose turned and stared as Cosmina twitched before having a seizure. The blankets probably would have twisted around her legs if the Doctor hadn't stopped that from happening. After a few minutes, Cosmina panting, the Doctor scanned her again and smiled weakly. "And stabilized. Alive and well, see? Cosmina keeps on holding tightly to life."

Rose stared and touched her cheek, only to find it at a normal temperature. Rose looked up and the Doctor nodded a bit, allowing Rose to almost check up on the small girl, who was coming to. The Doctor smiled as he watched Cosmina wake up again to stare up at Rose, and he leaned back against the wall. "Time to go, Rose. Places to see, people to save," he stated.

He walked over and pat Cosmina's shoulder. The Doctor then searched his pockets before he pulled out a pendant. "Ah, here we go! Happy Birthday," he stated and carefully placed it around her neck.

The green heart shaped pendant, surrounded by pearls and set in a rather thick bronze sort-of metal shone briefly as the Doctor settled it against her. "Thank you, Doctor," Cosmina whispered, smiling tiredly, before her eyes slid closed again.

"There we go. Now, she'll be fine for another few months. Don't worry Rose. We'll see her again. She'll defy the odds over and over again," he stated and Rose stood up.

"I still don't think we should leave her."

"Nah, her mother will look after her now. The worst is over."

/

As the TARDIS faded out of sight in the traditional wheeze and whirl, two teleporter beams filled the area, allowing two creatures to stand in the clearing. One was female, with pale green skin stripped with blue and deep silver eyes that shuttered like a snake's. She was finely built, though she had attributes often shown of females, along with being of more muted colors. She held up a watch, while her male companion, pale red stripped with blue, more muscular and with a frill at the back of his head, looked around. "Myvris, are you sure you didn't get the tracer crossed?" the male asked.

The female, Myvris, nodded. "For our virtue as Gena, we do our duty. Someone, north-east. They just had a genetic coding break-down, almost. Come on," she instructed and walked off, her clothing of brown and olive almost having her blend in with the forest, amongst the moss covered trees.

The male gave an 'eye-roll' motion with his head and followed, a beacon to their position. Not that they were _trying_ to blend in. They were going to go save a child. Hopefully before the genetic code completely collapsed.

When Cosmina would awaken, years later, should would be completely different from when she had fallen asleep.


	3. What Was Lost Will Now Be Found

**Running Beside the Veteran, a Doctor Who fanfic**

**Chapter Three – What Was Lost Will Now Be Found**

The Doctor slammed his hand into the TARDIS with a loud sound of rage. He gripped the console tightly and leaned over, as if trying to make sense of everything. Rose was watching nervously and looked at him. "I'm sorry," she stated.

The Doctor sighed and pushed away. "She's gone. People don't just _disappear_ off Drakis! This isn't their Dark Ages!" he snapped, almost ignoring Rose.

He paced a bit before sighing. "You said it yourself. Her genetic code was breaking down," Rose offered.

"She's not dead. That pendant would have alerted me to a fatal shift in her genetic code," he explained.

"You gave her the gift of suspicion for her birthday?"

The Doctor looked up. "No, protection. She's just…7ish now," he muttered, spinning dials. "So, where to?" he added.

"I want to visit my mum."

The Doctor smiled and nodded. "No problem. 12 hours after I took you, here we come," he stated and set off.

/

"For the last time, I'm sorry for taking 12 months!" the Doctor exclaimed, spinning through the dials.

"Well, if you hadn't been so sure, I wouldn't have given my mum a heart attack!" Rose retorted.

"Rose, I'm sorry. Though, the Slithreen were cool, weren't they?" he responded.

Rose paused and then beamed. "Oh yeah!"

Rose just smiled a bit, though stopped, confusion mounting. "What's beeping?" She asked.

The Doctor paused and looked around, before his face lit up. He ran around the TARDIS, searching all over before he pulled out a small radio-like device. "It's Cosmina's locator…in what you humans call the Tadpole Galaxy, eight years in her future," he stated, his voice going down. "How did she get there?" He thought out loud.

"Space-travel?"

"Avalyns, by nature, need to be grounded by what they are part of. Even a hybrid. Cosmina wouldn't have gone willingly. How about a side-trip Rose?"

Rose looked nervous. "What if it is a trap?"

"Then we best be prepared," he answered with a grin and pulled the lever as the TARDIS began to dematerialize, changing direction from the original course.

/

The TARDIS wheezed into being and the Doctor immediately poked his head out to find that he had landed in what looked like an Old Earth hospital storage room for personal effects of long term patients. He looked around and stepped out before beginning to go through the various little boxes, pausing when he saw Cosmina's name. He pulled the box off, and opened it to find her clothing folded neatly, the pendant blinking away on top. He pulled it out and sighed. "Trap then," he muttered.

"Not quite, Time-Lord. Though, right now I wish we had some of your genetic sampling. However, being the last, we will only accept peaceful donations," a very feminine voice stated and he turned to view a pale green Gena with blue stripes darting across her skin, dressed in brown and olive.

Her deep silver eyes blinked and her tongue darted out a bit, shifting her head in a bit snake-like fashion. "How did you know what I was?" The Doctor asked, sounding defensive.

"Time-Lord genetics are very unusual, sir. I'm Myvris, head of Cosmina's genetic splicing project. We were of a hope that you would take her. We tried her parents first, as custom, but they rejected her for being 'too hybrid,'" the Gena answered, after her tongue darted a bit more, eyes shuttering briefly as she seemed to rest in the taste of the scent of his genetic code.

"Myvris, the Gena known for the simplest of creations. Except one, which was always top secret and never spoken of except in awe and rumor," the Doctor stated, connecting the dots in his mind.

"I believe I've just done that. Cosmina. Don't ask, I still can't explain what I was thinking. If you could come with me Time-Lord…please?" Myvris answered.

The Doctor nodded and looked at Rose. "Stay in the TARDIS. I'll be back in a bit. And…don't touch anything," he ordered before he followed Myvris out of the storage room.

Rose gave him an annoyed look before glancing back into the TARDIS. Well, it _was_ bigger on the inside then it is on the outside. She stepped through and began to wander through the TARDIS, not touching anything.

Rose jumped when a door opened on its own.

/

The Doctor stared at the white recovery room through the two-way glass. If he hadn't known the Gena didn't lie about their creations by honor, he would not believe that the nine or ten year old girl lying on the bed, hooked up to some machines, was Cosmina. Her auburn hair had lighted and straightened slightly into a soft brown. She was still tiny, only somehow more so, seeming more fragile. He stared at her and looked over at Myvris. "What did you splice into her?"

"It seems everything at times. I…had the records put under lockdown. And demolished. No one will ever know. I can't remember anymore, why I did it. And that frightens me," Myvris stated. She sighed and then glanced up at the Doctor. "Will you take her, Time-Lord?"

"One, it's just the Doctor. And two…yes, I'll take Cosmina," he answered.

Myvris beamed and used her long, thin, fingernails to type the controls in. "Go to your new charge, Doctor. Bond. Oh, and she'll be sore when she wakes up. And really tired. She hasn't really moved in eight years or so, but the drugs in her system have kept her muscles from failing," Myvris stated, the door opening.

The Doctor paused. "Yeah, about that. She doesn't look like she's been here eight years. How did that happen?"

"We don't know. Nothing we spliced on Doctor. She just…stopped aging," Myvris explained.

The Doctor turned and looked back at Cosmina. He walked in and stared at her. "I should be wanting to run Cosmina. You aren't setting off any alarm bells in my head and you should be," he murmured.

He sighed and reached out, gently taking her hand, only to nearly drop it when blood red lettering began to spread across her hand. He carefully lifted her hand up, reading the letters before he put it back. "Cosmina…I should have known from the name. No such thing as coincidence," he murmured, before carefully pulling the blanket over her hands.

He heard the door open and turned. "Here are her personal effects, Doctor. Once off the medication, she should waken within the next two hours," Myvris explained.

He nodded and the Gena carefully removed the IV tubing from Cosmina's wrist before wrapping it up. She didn't seem to notice the markings and the Doctor placed the box on Cosmina's stomach before carefully picking her up, wrapped up in the blanket. "I'll show myself out," the Doctor stated and carefully carried Cosmina to the TARDIS.

/

After a difficult time, the Doctor finally got them in and looked around. "Rose?"

"Doctor! I found a bedroom," Rose stated.

"Did it have a name on the door?"

"Yeah. Cosmina's. I have no idea why though."

The Doctor glared at the TARDIS console while he passed. Living ship that travels through time and space. He had no control. "Yeah, well, that's because she's coming with us."

"What do you mean?" Rose questioned, walking out to see the sleeping, pale, Cosmina.

"She's just resting. Surgery and all."

"She looks different."

"Yeah. Her genetic code was altered."

"Altered?" Rose asked.

"Yes, altered. That's what the Gena do. They save people by altering their genetic code to keep them alive. She's fine, don't worry. Where's the room?" the Doctor asked.

Rose took the box and sighed. "You'll find it. It looks just like a little girl's room, all frilly and pink. How did it get there?" Rose asked.

"Ask the TARDIS," the Doctor stated, before glaring at the telepathic ship again.

A door opened on its own and the Doctor walked over, carefully laying Cosmina on the bed. He tucked her in and for a brief moment, his hearts ached. Susan, as a little girl, flashed through his mind and he pulled back suddenly. He glanced at Cosmina's hands, only to see the writing was still there. He sighed and closed his eyes briefly.

"Are you sure it's safe? Taking a little girl with us?" Rose asked.

"Perfectly! We'll just need to be a bit more vigilant, that's all," He explained.

Rose nodded and the Doctor strode over to the console. He looked at the TARDIS. "What are you up to?" he breathed, before he looked over at Rose.

"Where too?" he asked.


	4. Hearing a Dalek

**Chapter Four – Hearing a **_**Dalek**_

_****_Cosmina sat up, panting. She let out a cry and held her head, shaking a bit. "Help me," she whispered, eyes wide.

Gray was stained with a deep amber that seemed to freeze instead of burn, yet still glow like fire. She scrunched her eyes tightly shut and shook all over before looking around. Cosmina felt her confusion mount as she found herself in an unfamiliar place. She looked around, almost panicked, when she heard a soothing song, she figured, playing through her mind. She paused, still shaking, her eyes slowly fading fully into that brilliant amber color.

The tears slowly began to pool out of her eyes, as the music swelled around her. For a moment, she wasn't in an unknown room, but staring up at a burnt orange sky, in a field of red grass, silver leaved trees glinting in the distance. She let out a choked sob, unsure of why she felt such a gaping hole in her chest, as if someone scooped out her heart leaving nothing. However, she knew it was from a life form, a large life form, close and with a deep connection to this place she was seeing so faintly now.

A life form large enough to house the room she was in. "Cosmina?" A voice, so familiar, called and she turned only to see the Doctor.

"Doctor…it…what is this place?" She asked. 

"You're in a room, in the TARDIS. Remember, the blue box you first saw me with? It's bigger on the inside then it is on the outside," the Doctor explained as he slowly moved toward her. 

Conflicting things were spinning through her brain as she tried to process them all, though it was slowing down. When the Doctor was close enough, she reached out, fingers clinging to his jacket. "Doctor…this song. No, before that. Someone was calling for help. Who was calling for help? And that place, with that song…it's over now though," she explained, trying to hold onto him, staring straight back up at the Doctor. 

He slowly sat next to her, Cosmina unaware of the fact her eyes were swiftly becoming gray once more, yet holding slight sparks of amber. "The TARDIS picked up a live distress call. Cosmina, what do you mean you heard them call for help?" 

The tiny girl blinked and pulled lightly on his jacket, the white sleeves of an actual nightgown riding up slightly. He shifted a bit, as if unsure of what to do and Cosmina began to play with her sleeves. "In my head. I heard them in my head. They sounded so…pained and…oh, Drakis! The voice…the voice was so…so…wrong and pained…and they needed help. But…it was in my head," she explained softly. 

The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and scanned her quickly before reading it. "Yeah, well, we got a distress signal. If you'll get dressed, you can come with Rose and I. We'll be landing soon," the Doctor stated.

"I won't get in the way?" 

"Hopefully not. I'll meet you downstairs, by the console. If you get lost, holler," the Doctor answered. He was about to leave, when he paused. "Wait. Here," he instructed and turned, walking over. 

The Doctor pulled her necklace out of a pocket and carefully put it around her neck again. "Can't have you losing that, can we?" 

She shook her head and then the Doctor left as quickly as he could. The movement confused Cosmina before she shrugged and looked around. She slowly got out of the bed, staring around her in wide-eyed wonder. As her bare feet brushed the floor, she gasped as she felt a flare of life. She pulled her feet back up, before slowly standing back up again. "Oh…you're alive!" She exclaimed softly, swiftly going to her knees. 

She smiled as she rested her forehead against the floor. "_You_ gave me that image and song! Where'd the song come from though? Totally forgot. Four extra brainwaves, specifically for communicating…well, could become more. Avalyns create bonds with people to insure their safety. Mum couldn't. Though, usually we just communicate so openly with _just_ Drakis. I thought with just Drakis anyway. Now I'm not so sure. That relay for help…it didn't come from you, did it?" She mused out loud before quickly getting dressed.

She pulled on her sandals, and walked out, one hand on the TARDIS wall…ish thing. She wasn't sure what to call it. "Must be odd, having people walking around inside of you," she muttered before she moved forward.  
Cosmina laughed and turned around. "Right, wrong way," she giggled and continued on her way.

/

The Doctor and Rose stepped out of the TARDIS, followed by a hesitant Cosmina whose brown hair was now in a ponytail. She stepped out and Rose held out her hand. "Come on," Rose offered and Cosmina smiled before taking Rose's hand. 

The human woman stared at the writing and opened her mouth to ask, when she was distracted by the Doctor's look. "Is something wrong?" she asked. 

Cosmina looked around. "Some sort of signal pulled the TARDIS off course. Cosmina, don't wander off." 

"Not an issue," Cosmina muttered, happily holding onto Rose's hand, her brown skirt fluttering around her ankles, the cream blouse tucked in made her stand out. 

Rose continued to hold Cosmina's hand and glanced around. "Where are we?" 

"Earth, North America, Utah, and half a mile underground." 

"When are we?" Rose questioned. 

The Doctor grinned a bit. "2012." 

"Close. I'd be…26 now," Rose murmured. 

Cosmina watched them and then glanced at the Doctor. "Earth time is confusing," she stated and the Doctor smiled. 

"Yeah, it is. Not so confusing when you understand it. I'll start teaching you, if you want to travel with us that is," he stated. Cosmina grinned and nodded. "Now, for some light. And I mean the electrical kind," he said and the tiny girl, still clinging to Rose's hand, huffed.

The Doctor let out a happy exclamation as he flicked a switch and Cosmina let out a low whistle. "That'd take one really old Dawning to do that," she murmured. 

"It's a museum!" Rose exclaimed as the Doctor began to lead them down the aisle. 

"An alien museum. Someone has spent a fortune on all of this stuff for their little collection. Cosmina, don't talk about yourself, except to say your name is Cosmina Smith and you're from…England somewhere," the Doctor explained, before turning on the young girl, pausing in his ramblings to speak to her. 

"What is England?" 

"I'll have Rose teach you about that," the Doctor answered and Cosmina glanced up at Rose. 

"Lat-…is that a stuffed Slitheen arm?" Rose stated. 

"Yeah. And that's moon dust, with the Roswell milometer. Ah! Look at you!" the Doctor exclaimed as he pointed out various objects before running to severed metal head. 

Rose and Cosmina shared different looks and rushed over. "What is that?" Rose asked. 

"An old friend, well enemy, of mine. Stuff of nightmares, reduced to a cheap exhibit. I'm getting old," the Doctor answered. 

"Did the signal come from that?" Rose and Cosmina asked at the same time. 

"No. This is stone-cold. Whatever is sending out that signal is very much alive, reaching out. Calling for…help," the Doctor answered and gently pressed his finger against the glass. 

The alarm blared and Cosmina covered her ears with a cry of pain. The soldiers seemed to come out of nowhere and pointed their guns at them. Cosmina followed the veterans' example and raised her hands in surrender. 

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you two Exhibits A & B," Rose commented softly. 

Cosmina looked up at the Doctor in slight fear of the prospect, but he only grinned at the men with guns.


	5. Meeting a Dalek

**Running Beside the Veteran, a Doctor Who fanfic**

**Chapter Five – Meeting a **_**Dalek**_

__As they waited for the owner of the museum, Cosmina suddenly gasped and cried out in pain. She hit the floor and Rose quickly followed. "Cosmina?" The British female asked, carefully grasping Cosmina's shoulders.

"Someone…someone's screaming," she whispered and slowly got up, trying to get a grasp on _what_was screaming. Or even how she was hearing the screaming.

It was like someone had cranked up her extra brain waves. Like they were picking up every little thing. She let out another cry of pain, before looking at the Doctor, her eyes blazing amber before fading back to gray. "Oh, that hurt. All through me. Shot through my heart and head, almost. I've…I've never had that happen before." She breathed out and jumped when a woman entered with great purpose, the door almost insignificant to her.

"Mr. van Statton will see you now," a very pretty, curly haired woman, wearing a business suit, stated.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows and walked out with Rose, who was quickly followed by Cosmina. She reached up and took Rose's hand again, who accepted it, as they walked through the hallways. As they entered a room, Cosmina caught the tail end of the conversation between a young, British man, and the sitting American. However, Cosmina couldn't tell anyone _how_ she knew that.

"…must be a channel for something, I think maybe fuel…" the standing guy struggled to explain, pointing it out to the guy behind the desk. The man behind the desk was holding it oddly, sort-of like a bad toy gun.

Well, Cosmina figured gun. However, something told her, inside, that it was not a gun. "I wouldn't hold it like that," the Doctor commented.

"Shut it!" The pretty woman snapped.

"No, really, I wouldn't."

"Why? Is it dangerous?" The younger one questioned.

"No, it just looks silly," the Doctor commented before holding his hand out for it.

Cosmina tensed as the guards aimed their guns at the Doctor, but the older, sitting, man stopped them with a little wave of his hand, like they were just servants, if that high up in his consideration. Unimportant to him. He even handed it over to the Doctor himself with an air like the Doctor was lesser then him and Cosmina carefully moved forward, standing right at the Doctor's waist to look up at it. "You just need to be…delicate," the Doctor commented, gently brushing his fingers along the casing, while Cosmina carefully wrapped her fingers around his jacket, having it scrunch a bit in her hand.

Cosmina gasped softly in awe as the harmonica like music came out and she stared at it in wonder. The Doctor beamed around, before he focused back down at the instrument as he continued to gently play it. "It's a musical instrument," the desk man concluded, though Cosmina didn't pay him any mind, half-consciously humming along.

"Yeah. And it is a long way from home."

"Let me," the man demanded as he snatched it from the Doctor.

Cosmina pulled a face, glancing at Rose, before back at the instrument. She was suddenly worried and pulled back. No one really noticed as she winced at the beeping noises the alien harmonica made. "It needs precision," the Doctor explained and Cosmina continued to hold onto the Doctor's jacket, watching the man who was probably the owner of the museum attempting to play the instrument.

This time, the alien harmonica held only calculated notes, none of the music the Doctor had played before. As the man threw it away, the girl winced, pulling into the Doctor a bit before she released him. "Now tell me, who are you?" the owner stated and Cosmina glanced at the alien harmonica.

She slid away from the Doctor, heading for the musical instrument before quickly grabbing it and hiding it in the pocket of her skirt. Drakis was never without a loss for pockets. No one even looked twice at the little girl, too focused on the drama unfolding before them. She just slipped back beside Rose and took her hand, pretending to be a bit scared. Actually, it wasn't pretending. For some reason, she was terrified of the man at the desk.

Her eyes darted around and was startled out of her thoughts, none of which were nice, when Rose snapped, "She's gonna smack you if you keep referencing her as 'she.'"

"And English too! Hey, Little Lord Fauntleroy, you've got a girlfriend!" The owner stated and Cosmina glared at him.

Cosmina continued to listen, realizing that the guy, van Statten or whoever he was (okay, she wasn't paying that close attention, she was distracted by the white noise in her head) was the owner of the museum. He was also a meanie and the Doctor didn't like him. Of course, a blind-man would be able to tell that. "Anything you don't understand, you lock up," the Doctor countered.

"And you claim greater knowledge?"

"I don't have to claim. I know how good I am."

Cosmina shook her head a bit and covered her face with her free hand, not noticing the startled looks people shared about the odd markings. Of course. She should have realized he'd by like those older guys on her home planet. All determined to prove they were the best. Of course, the Doctor could back up his boastings.

* * *

Cosmina wandered around Adam's lab, staring at things. She ignored his flirting with Rose, Adam giving her…an upset feeling. Come to think of it…van Statten had made her feel frightened. She had practically clung to Rose. She would have clung to the Doctor, but he was busy doing his macho, word-posing thing. The nine year oldish looking girl rolled her eyes at the thought.

She then gasped in pain, feeling as if the screaming was ripping through her body. However, it was less intense then before. Her eyes flared amber before dying and she turned around. "The screaming…" She breathed and focused on Rose, who was leaning over a computer with Adam.

When had that happened? She then heard the screaming to match the one that ripped through her and Cosmina's eyes widened at the computer thingy. She wasn't sure where she had gotten that knowledge, it was like part of her brain was supplying her with basics, but it washed out. She shook her head and suddenly ran out the door after them.

Rose barely noticed and Cosmina rushed through. She ran down the stairs and probably would have run past the pair when Rose gently grabbed her arm. "Oh, no you don't," Rose scolded, before dragging her along with them.

"You're not going in there," Rose added and Cosmina rolled her eyes.

Well, she would have, if a wave of pain didn't wrench through her body. And she knew, exactly, who was in pain. The Doctor.

Cosmina glanced up at Rose and then let out a strangled cry as another wave of pain, worse then before, hit her. She gasped and felt her body trying to figure out was going on. However, there was something, something in the back of her mind. She just couldn't understand it. She struggled out of Rose's grip, though half-heartedly because she didn't want to go down to the Cage at the same time. Eventually, she managed to get back up, her heart beats slowing down in reaction to her stress, which it always did. With that backing her up, Cosmina was able to stand once more. She then took off, breaking out of Rose's grip.

Cosmina continued to run and as they reached the Cage, was half-dazed with pain. She leaned against the wall outside of the actual vault thing and stared before backing away from the screen. She took deep breaths and turned away. It needed help, but at the same time, she just wanted to leave it there to be tortured and die. "Are you okay, Cosmina?" Rose questioned anxiously.

The girl nodded and stared at the end of the lobby area. "I really don't like this place," she murmured before pain washed over her again.

Lesser, though she still knew the source. When did this happen? She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts when she seemed to just _know_ someone in the vault just died and they rushed back in and Cosmina looked at Rose. "Rose?" She called.

"Condition red! Repeat, condition red! This is not a drill!" One of the guards warned and Cosmina had only one thought going through her mind.

Run.


	6. Running From the Dalek

**Running Beside the Veteran, a Doctor Who fanfic**

**Chapter Six – Running From the **_**Dalek**_

"You need to keep it inside the vault!" the Doctor exclaimed, almost panicked, over the screen.

"I'm sorry Doctor, it's all my fault," Rose explained and Cosmina twitched in annoyance.

"Apologies and explanations later! Let's run!" Cosmina cried out, half-panicked.

"I've sealed the vault! It can't get out, there are a billion combinations on that thing," a guard argued.

Cosmina let out a frustrated, frightened sound and stared at the door, wanting to run despite the fact she was getting tired. "The Dalek's a genius. It can calculate 10 billion combinations per second," the Doctor corrected.

"Joy! Can we run now?" Cosmina retorted.

The vault began to open and the girl turned to stare as the guards began to fire on command. She backed away from the Dalek and looked up at Rose. "I want that thing alive!" Van Statten shouted over the comms system.

"Rose, Cosmina, get out of there!" the Doctor shouted.

The head guard turned to one of the few females. "De Maggio, take the civilians and get out," he ordered.

"You come with me," De Maggio instructed and Cosmina eagerly followed after her. Rose and Adam were soon racing after the first two.

* * *

Cosmina was barely able to keep up with De Maggio as they rushed through the hallways. "Civilians, let them through!" De Maggio shouted and the security guards moved out of the way for them to run along through, even for Adam.

They ran through the corridors and Cosmina blinked a bit, tears escaping as she ran. She felt like she was running from a graveyard of the living. She continued to run, pushing herself to her limit and she crashed into a wall as they came to the stairs. "Stairs! Now that's more like it!" Rose exclaimed as they began to run up the stairs. "It hasn't got legs, it's stuck!" she added.

Cosmina paled. "Rose, this is an advanced alien species. I don't think _stairs_ will stop it," she muttered condescendingly.

De Maggio suddenly came up behind them. "It's coming! Go!" She shouted and Cosmina rushed up the stairs, stopping when they did.

She stared at the ceiling and looked for a camera. Of course there were none there. Just when they needed the Doctor to at least see the predicament. The Dalek paused at the stairs and Cosmina reached out, gently pulling on Rose's hand. "Come on," she whispered.

The eyepiece moved up to them and Cosmina backed away while Adam mocked it. "The great, big, alien is defeated by a flight of stairs?"

Cosmina stared at the Dalek in fear, feeling as if it was just waiting for something. Her eyes flashed amber, briefly, and Cosmina held her head. "El-e-vate," the Dalek stated and Cosmina immediately began to run up the stairs.

She knew it was cowardly, but she doubted she would ever be able to fight the Dalek. Behind her, she heard De Maggio scream with the sound of electrical current and just _knew_ she was dead. More tears slid past Cosmina's eyelids. As they ran, Cosmina began to wonder if she would ever make it out of there.

As they ran into the open warehouse, Cosmina looked around. She hoped they listened to the Doctor, or they were going to die. "Get the hell out of here!" the Commander shouted and the trio ran across, through the doors on the other side.

They paused as the Dalek came into view and Cosmina glanced up at Rose when it focused on her, despite Adam's panic that seemed to be rising. Cosmina stared before running after them, nearly crashing into Rose when she stopped, again. Cosmina was practically panting, exhausted. "It was looking at me!" Rose exclaimed in a panicked voice.

"It wants to slaughter us!" Adam answered.

"No, it was like something…inside knew me!" Rose explained.

"The Dalek is alive. It isn't just a machine, or we wouldn't have gotten the distress signal," Cosmina declared.

Silently, she added she also wouldn't have heard it scream.

The trio began to run again and Cosmina suddenly gasped in pain. Tears fell from her eyes and she looked back. "They're dead. I don't know how I know, but they're dead," she whispered.

"Cosmina, come on!" Rose exclaimed, grabbing the girl's hand and dragging her into a sprint once again.

* * *

Cosmina ran up the stairs, trying not to collapse. She knew if she did, she was dead, and she didn't want to be dead. She _liked_ living! And she was only 9ish or so! She had a whole life ahead of her! She wanted to learn about Earth time systems and Earth language! She wanted to see the Universe and explore its beauty.

She was _not_ going to be killed by a Dalek!

She heard a ringing and glanced down as she ran, nearly face planting on the stairs. "Not the best time right now, Doctor!" Rose exclaimed and Cosmina scrambled up.

"Level 49…Well, can't you stop it?"

Cosmina picked up speed and the trio continued to race up the stairs, the Dalek right behind them. Cosmina glanced around and suddenly, leapt up the last bit to the landing. "Come on!" she shouted before continuing.

Yeah, jumping that high hadn't been her best idea, but she had a running start! It was all she needed to clear it. She paused when she rounded the corner, looking back nervously. "Run!" Rose shouted and Cosmina took off, running up the corridor. She saw the bulkhead beginning to lower and fell through, stumbling a bit as she cleared it.

She panted heavily and stared, watching Adam roll under. Rose never came. Cosmina let out a scream, an anguished scream, which seemed to be the only thing her lungs could produce beyond her gasping pants. She rushed forward and slammed her fists against the bulkhead. Adam just seemed shocked, forced silent.

After her fit, Cosmina continued to pant for breathe and stumbled back into a wall. "How did you do that?" Adam questioned suddenly.

"Do what?" Cosmina answered, trying to avoid answering.

"You jumped five feet to get to the top of the stairs," Adam answered, though his eyes were on her hands.

"Yeah, I can do that," she responded and shakily stood away from the wall before running to the office.


	7. A Change in the Dalek

**Running Beside the Veteran, a Doctor Who fanfic  
Chapter Seven – A Change in the **_**Dalek**_

_****_Cosmina stepped out of the lift after Adam, shaking. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, tears forming in her eyes, before they spilled out again.

"Open the bulkhead or Rose Tyler dies!" the Dalek ordered over the screen and Cosmina smiled, along with the Doctor.

"You're alive!" the Doctor exclaimed and Cosmina sunk to the floor in relief.

She leaned against a wall, eyes closed. She heard the Doctor leaving and opened her eyes a bit to look around the room. She felt entirely too exhausted and closed her eyes again. Then, there was a buzzing in her mind and she opened her eyes to reveal the Dalek entering the room with Rose. "That's not good," she mumbled softly.

Cosmina pushed up, slowly, her body aching and she stared weakly at the Dalek, as well as Van Statten. Her eyes widened as the Dalek approached him and she covered her ears, shaking her head against what she was hearing. As the Dalek and Rose left, Cosmina stood up shakily and followed on weak legs. She didn't stop, supporting herself with the wall as she followed them. Cosmina watched as the Dalek moved down the hall with Rose. She stumbled and nearly fell, exhausted. There was a sheen of sweat covering her forehead and her hair stuck oddly to her face from where it had escaped. She climbed up, slowly finding her way to first floor. Cosmina leaned against the wall and watched it blast open the ceiling. From her angle, she could see it as it began to open up and she stared in pitiful fear at the tentacle thing.

Well, she saw the tentacles. She clung to the wall, shaking as she slid into a heap. Her vision was out of focus and she felt as if the world was completely out of focus. However, words still made their way into her mind.

"What about you Doctor? What are you changing into?"

"Oh…Rose. I couldn't…I…they're all dead!"

The Dalek spoke, breaking through the Doctor's teary voice. "Why do we survive?"

"I don't know." The brutal honesty that thread through the Doctor's voice was almost completely compounded by the feeling in her head.

"I am the last of the Daleks."

"Not anymore. You got some of Rose's DNA when you absorbed her. You're mutating."

"Into what?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry," the Doctor responded, none of his hatred for the last Dalek, already dead before drawing his last breath, tempering his words.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Rose asked, confusion lacing her words.

"Not for a Dalek."

"I can feel so much darkness. Rose, order me to die," the Dalek gasped.

"I can't do that!" Rose exclaimed, sounding tormented.

Cosmina felt like her head was going to explode. She gripped at her ears, as if that would stop it, but it didn't. The Dalek screamed of weakness, and then Rose ordered it to die. She let out a cry of pain, or thought she did, as it died, covering her head. She crumpled to the ground, too exhausted and only dimly aware of everything around her. Arms surrounded her and suddenly she heard the beat of his hearts which created a _very_ soothing four-beat rhythm.

Ba-ba-ba-bum.

/

The Doctor stared at the spot where the Dalek once was, before his eyes fell on a crumpled form. "Cosmina," he whispered and walked over.

He was followed by Rose and he knelt next to Cosmina, whose eyes were distant. He set the gun to the side, carefully lifted her up, her head lulling onto his chest, listening to his heartbeats from around the sternum. He remembered, distantly, that from that spot both heartbeats could evenly be heard.

"Cosmina?" the Doctor called, only to receive no answer.

"I thought you said the Gena fixed it!" Rose exclaimed.

The Doctor scanned her and his eyebrows furrowed. "It isn't that. Her mind is…gaining extra brainwaves. For Avalyns, it means new connections, like low-level psychic fields. Come on, let us get her back to the TARDIS," the Doctor murmured, gently shifting Cosmina in his arms so he could stand up with her. (That's what I had meant. *sighs* That is what happens when I self-edit before sending.)

Rose stood with them, staring at the girl. She was tiny in the Doctor's arms, eyes now closed against the world. She reached out and gently traced Cosmina's cheek. "She's so fragile," Rose breathed.

"I know."

/

The Doctor stepped back out of the TARDIS and carefully rubbed the TARDIS's side. "Oh, you are not so subtle. Trying to tell me something?" he breathed, so softly that he was sure the only way the TARDIS could have heard him was through their connection.

Rose stepped back out and he smiled weakly at her. "Little piece of home," he stated and placed a hand on the TARDIS again.

Their hearts-to-heart moment was not interrupted until Adam came running up. The Doctor was against it, but Rose…Rose was Rose. He couldn't really say 'no' to her. He stepped into the TARDIS and waited for Adam to follow. Of course they were going to bring a pretty boy. Hopefully he was intelligent.

As they began to go somewhere, Rose suggested they head to a place to get clothes. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, Cosmina needs some more clothes. And shoes that look like shoes. At least socks. I'll even go to a second-hand store or something," Rose explained.

"You're taking your boyfriend with you," the Doctor practically ordered, turning dials as he had the TARDIS land in modernish day.

Rose wanted to go shopping. He'd at least make sure that she had money, and he wasn't too surprised that the TARDIS had landed them near a cash machine. "Do you need to take Cosmina?"

"Nope! We'll be fine. Shouldn't take more then an hour," Rose said, dragging Adam off.

The Doctor shut the TARDIS door and began to try to find out where to go next. He paused when he felt a disturbance. "What was that?"

The TARDIS hummed in his mind and he turned, heading straight for Cosmina's room. He tapped on the door. "Cosmina?"

The sound of bare feet hit the floor and the door opened as the tiny girl, once again dressed in a nightgown (Rose had probably changed her), barreled into him. "You're okay! I was so scared! He hurt you! And it hurt so much!" she exclaimed and suddenly began sobbing into his lower chest.

The Doctor hesitantly wrapped his arms around her shoulders as her thin arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Not that she reached all the way around. She shook with each sob and he tried to remember how to deal with crying children. It had been a long time…a long, long time since he had to hold a child crying over fears that were all too real. He began to run one his hands slowly through her hair, carefully untangling her brown hair as he wondered over her words. And wondered if he would ever be able to ask her what he wanted to. What he needed to.  
As he ran his hand through her hair, she slowly began to calm down. He looked down at her when he felt the sobbing stop, though she still hadn't let him go. It took awhile, but once she just seemed to be clinging to him, he sighed quietly. "Cosmina, what did you mean it hurt?"

"Earlier, at that prison place where all those people died. The living graveyard that soon became just a graveyard. That hurt too, when they died. It just hurt. It burned and churned and it hurt. When you were in pain, physical pain not emotional, it hurt. It burned through my chest and brain and it wouldn't stop, just went out of my mind," she explained, voice muffled against him.

She wasn't letting go and the Doctor sighed, still running his fingers through her hair. "Okay, Cosmina. We'll find out why later. Right now, why don't you let go of me, and go back to sleep, hmm? You must be tired," he suggested softly.

"And hungry," she added, slowly letting go.

She stepped away, and stared up at him. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

The Doctor sighed and placed her on the bed. "Stay," he ordered and walked out.

He dug out a stethoscope, which he rarely used how he was supposed to, and came back. He carefully placed the earpieces in Cosmina's ears, before placing the chest piece to his chest. The Doctor smiled a bit at her face, before he moved it over to his secondary heart. "See? Perfectly fine," he stated, as he carefully pulled the earpieces out of her ear.

Cosmina nodded and she inched back till she was under the covers. "I'm still hungry," she stated.

The Doctor nodded and sighed. "I'll see if I can solve that. Go to sleep," he ordered and stood up.

"Night, Doctor."

She was asleep before the Doctor got to feed her, though he figured he could when they got to wherever it was they were going. When Rose came back with Adam, bags in arms, she rushed straight to the room. The Doctor leaned against one of the columns and smiled a bit. Rose was so warm. He wasn't too surprised she had room in her heart for Cosmina too.


	8. Beginning of The Long Game

**Running Beside the Veteran, a ****Doctor Who**** fanfic**

**Chapter Eight – Beginning of **_**The Long Game**_

The TARDIS wheezed into existence in a room which was connected to a room full of TVs. The Doctor stepped out happily, dressed all in black, followed by Rose, who was dressed in jeans with a bright pink zip-up hoodie, and Cosmina, who was wearing a cutesy outfit that made her almost look like a little girl now. "Wow…" she muttered and moved to wander off when the Doctor gently grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back.

"You don't get to wander off," he stated.

Cosmina pouted and the Doctor turned to Rose. "Okay, we're…"

The Doctor began to explain where they were, and when. He smiled and kept a careful hand on Cosmina's shoulder, ensuring she wouldn't go wandering off too far. Once he finished explaining, he leant back and rested against the TARDIS while Rose went off to impress Adam. Cosmina rolled her eyes at that and muttered, "This is so stupid. Boys are stupid."

"Oh, really?" the Doctor questioned.

"You're not stupid. You're the exception."

He smiled and slowly followed after the pair. As they neared the observation platform, Cosmina continued to look around. "This is more then the Avalonians could dream," she breathed softly, hesitantly reaching up to take the Doctor's hand.

He accepted it without really thinking and Cosmina grinned cheerfully. They stepped through the sliding gate and she leaned a bit against the Doctor as they went. She glanced between Rose, Adam, and the Doctor, before she seemed to wilt. She leaned against the Doctor a bit and tried to thread her fingers a bit through his larger fingers. He glanced at her, when Rose interrupted. "I'll let the Doctor explain this part," she explained.

The Doctor grinned as he stepped up and Cosmina let his hand go as he crossed his arms. "Earth, the head of the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire," he explained.

Cosmina squealed and immediately bounced over to practically lean down, then over. She stared out and down, when a _very_ girly sigh was heard and a body thumped to the ground, causing Cosmina to glance back to Adam on the floor before she turned back around, promptly ignoring him. "He's your boyfriend," the Doctor commented.

"Not anymore," Rose answered.

Cosmina giggled and leaned over more to see the great, big, planet below her. "So…pretty," she whispered.

"Yeah. It is," the Doctor agreed.

Rose smiled and came to stand next to Cosmina, before the Doctor came up on her other side. For a brief moment, they looked like a family. Then Adam moaned. The picture broke and Cosmina twirled around to stare at Adam before moving to kneel down next to him, staring at his face, about an inch away. "You swooned," she taunted before she stood up and skipped away.

The Doctor smiled and followed after her, gently grabbing her shoulder. "Come along you two," he stated and Rose rolled her eyes before helping Adam up.

* * *

"Come on, Adam, open your mind! You're going to love this time period! The human race is at its peak. Culture, art, politics. This time has fine food, manners…" the Doctor stated, one of his arms over Adam's shoulders, the other around Rose's, with Cosmina holding onto Rose's hand.

"Out of the way!" a man exclaimed and Cosmina squeaked, clinging to Rose.

The small girl buried herself against Rose as the place sprang to noisy life. The silver rectangular box in the center opened up into a bunch of fast food stalls. She wrapped her arms around Rose's waist and glanced around, obviously upset. The Doctor pulled a face and brought out the watch. "Fine cuisine?" Rose questioned, carefully holding Cosmina to her side.

"My watch must be wrong…No, its fine," the Doctor murmured.

"That's what comes with showing off. Your history isn't as good as you thought it was."

The Doctor looked miffed. "My history is _perfect_."

"Well, obviously not," Rose teased.

"They're all human. Where are the millions of alien species?" Adam questioned.

"That is a good question. Actually, that is a _great_ question. Adam, mate, you must be starving!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"I am!" Cosmina stated from Rose's side.

"I'm just time-sick," Adam corrected.

"Nah, you just need a bit of grub. Rose, make sure Cosmina doesn't eat straight produce, get her a meat mix," the Doctor explained, before he turned to the chef at one of the centers of food. "Oi, mate, how much for a cronk burger?"

"Two credits twenty sweetheart. Now get in the queue!" the chef called.

The Doctor nodded and glanced around. "Money, we need money," he muttered and then his eyes fell on a cash point.

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and grinned a bit. "We have to use a cash point," he added.

The group went over to an interesting little cash machine and Cosmina stood on her tip toes, half scrunching her way next to the Doctor to stare. She gasped in awe as the thin strip of metal came out and the Doctor handed it to Adam. "Pocket money, don't spend it all on sweets. Rose, make sure Cosmina gets something to eat that is of meat and produce mix. And no sweets, though she can have _a_ soda," he ordered in a very fatherly manner as he began to walk away.

"How do I use it?" Adam questioned as Rose began to focus on Cosmina, who was pouting a bit at the fact she was being left with Rose and Adam.

"Go and find out! Stop nagging me! The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers!" the Doctor exclaimed.

Rose and Cosmina glanced up at that, with Cosmina raising an eyebrow a bit before she shared a look with Rose, who both shook their heads over the Doctor's antics while Rose laughed. However, Adam just seemed…bothered by it. "Or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go on, do it!" the Doctor continued, making a shooing motion with his hands.

Adam began to wander off and Rose gently tugged on Cosmina's hand before moving to follow Adam. "Off you go now on your first date!" the Doctor teased.

"You're looking for a smack, you are!" Rose responded.

"Make sure they keep it G-rated Cosmina!"

The little girl saluted back and the two girls walked off. The Doctor watched them leave and once they were out of sight, the smile faded into a thoughtful look. He knew he'd have to actually explain to his girls later.

He paused.

When had he made them 'his'?


	9. To Play The Long Game

**Running Beside the Veteran, a Doctor Who fanfic**

**Chapter Nine – To Play **_**The Long Game**_

Cosmina sat next to Rose, eating a version of chili cheese chips that had some ground beef like things in it. She forked some and smiled at the taste. She beamed up at Rose and snuggled a bit against her, before she practically glared at Adam. She took a sip from her soda and stated, "I don't like you."

She then went back to her food and swung her legs a bit. "Cosmina!" Rose exclaimed.

"I don't! He stared at my hands," Cosmina pouted, remembering the odd markings on her hands. Writing that she knew, but at the same time couldn't understand.

However, her hands were covered in fingerless gloves now. They looked cute, but Cosmina really didn't like them too much.

Rose shook her head at the little girl, before she focused to Adam. "Try this. They call it a 'zaffic,'" she suggested and Cosmina rolled her eyes, going back to eating.

She didn't mind the heat of the station; it was hotter in the summer around her home. However, it was the still air around her that bugged her. She scrunched up her nose a bit and continued to eat her food. Adam and Rose were doing some weird flirt dance thing.

She finished up her meal and then looked around, before she glanced up. She focused on one of the cameras and slowly stood up, finishing off her soda. She chewed on her lip and began to wander off, curious about this place she was in.

She was jerked to a stop by the Doctor as she walked past him. "Don't you dare," he stated and she grinned sheepishly up at him.

"Oi, Mutt and Jeff, over here!" he shouted back and Cosmina followed after the Doctor as if she had a choice in the matter.

She stopped paying attention to the camera.

* * *

Cosmina looked around as Cathica, with a 'C', began to explain what was going on. Suki, as Cosmina learned, had added in the fact that telling the truth was the law. Cosmina twitched a bit at that and focused on Suki. She leaned against the Doctor a bit and almost ignored how the room light up around them. She glanced up a bit when she heard 'spike' only to see blue light streaming into Cathica's head.

Cosmina tugged a bit on the Doctor's jacket and he smiled before he answered the unasked question. "Compressed information, streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain ISthe computer."

Cosmina's jaw dropped in surprise that such a thing would happen, though the explanation sounded vaguely familiar, like she had heard a similar explanation before. She shrugged it off as the Doctor corrected Rose about her assumption that Cathica was a genius. "No, too much. Her head would explode," he explained, supporting Cosmina before he moved to walk around.

Cosmina followed, mostly out of boredom, though Rose quickly overtook her. The girl didn't mind, so long as Rose, nor herself, wasn't near Adam. "The minute that closes, she forgets. Has to, really," the Doctor continued.

"So, who are all these people around the edge?" Rose asked, curious.

"They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her and they transmit 600 channels. Every single fact in the empire beams out of this place," the Doctor added, staring at everything while Rose knelt down to stare closer at Suki.

Cosmina looked around and shook her shoulders a bit. She followed after the Doctor as he continued to walk around the room. She leaned against the railing, on the other side of the Doctor, away from Adam. "That's what I call power," the Doctor commented.

"No one should have that much," Cosmina whispered softly and the Doctor nodded.

"Yeah."

Rose came up and leaned next to Adam. "You all right?" Rose asked of Adam.

Cosmina rolled her eyes and stared into the circle. She looked up and stared at the camera, which was focused on them before it began to move around the room. Cosmina continued to stare. Suddenly, Suki twitched and dread filled Cosmina. "Oh, no," she whispered.

Suki suddenly gasped and pulled up her hands. Cosmina slumped, dread filling her being. Like that feeling before the guys were executed by the Dalek, only weaker this time around. Cathica told Suki off, but Cosmina only watched. She looked around when a computerized voice stated, "Promotion."

Cathica began to pray it was for her, but Cosmina was pretty sure 'Promotion' was not a good thing. "Promotion for... Suki Macrae Cantrell. Please proceed to Floor 500."

"How did you do that? I'm above you!" Cathica exclaimed, whirling on Suki.

"I don't know, I just applied on the off-chance... and they've said yes!" Suki exclaimed in an awestruck voice.

"That's so not fair; I've been applying to Floor 500 for three years!"

Cosmina pulled away, moving toward the door, and Rose asked, "What is Floor 500?"

"The walls are made of gold," the Doctor responded in a grave voice.

* * *

"Cathica, I'm gonna miss you! Floor 500..." Suki stated wistfully, before she turned to the Doctor. "And thank you so much!"

"I didn't do anything!" the Doctor responded.

"Yeah, but…you're my lucky charm!"

The Doctor got this 'adorable little kid' look on his face before he said, "Oh, all right! I'll hug anybody!"

He hugged Suki tightly and Cosmina immediately went over to Suki, once the Doctor released her, and clung to her almost. And then she did something she had never _actively_ done before. She could sense the Connections she had made with the Doctor, the TARDIS, and Rose, along with the two that buzzed constantly, but she didn't remember making those.

She closed her eyes and visualized it. The ones made without her knowledge were like…paths almost. Like those garden paths. Except they were colorful and told her how they were doing, along with if they were still alive. However, the one she was making was different.

It was like finding a piece of string and carefully tying it around Suki's wrist. Only, in this case, it was more like tying it, carefully, around Suki's soul or something like that. It was a bit confusing, but it seemed to work.

Once she had Connected to Suki, Cosmina released the journalist physically. "Good luck!" she stated, feeling the Connection tighten within her mind.

Taunt and strong as it can be for non-family, considering family-Bonds were like paths leading you to them. Like all Avalyns, she could make them. However, family ones just appeared. For those outside of family, it took energy.

A lot of energy.

Cosmina leaned a bit against the Doctor and yawned. He smiled a bit and suddenly picked her up, settling her on his hip. "Tired already?" he muttered softly and she settled against him, her arms wrapping loosely around his neck, before she nodded against his shoulder.

"Oh, my God, I've got to go, I can't keep them waiting, I'm sorry! Say goodbye to Steve for me. Bye!" Suki exclaimed and ran into the lift, the doors dinging shut after her hasty 'bye.'

"Good riddance," Cathica muttered.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs," the Doctor commented.

"We won't. Once you go to Floor 500, you never go back."

The Doctor's brow furrowed as he stared at the lift doors and Cosmina let out a sleepy cough-like sound.

* * *

**A/N – **This is my first chapter that was betaed by two betas. **TV-A-Holic**, who no longer can. I shall miss him/her greatly. However, when one door closes, another opens, and I must now thank **emelye14283**, who has stepped up!

Everyone, please give the beta a big round of applause! And be thankful there was a 'yes' otherwise you all would have had to wait longer for an update. Like, months. Maybe a whole year. Maybe two.

In case you were wondering, I put the A/N at the bottom so you wouldn't be distracted from the story…hopefully.


	10. To be a King in The Long Game

**Running Beside the Veteran, a Doctor Who fanfic**

**Chapter Ten – To be a King in _The Long Game_**

The Doctor carried a half-asleep Cosmina through the cantina, followed closely by Rose. Adam had wandered off, not that the Doctor cared about that. "Have you ever been up there Cathica?" he asked, gently shifting Cosmina a bit so it was easier to carry her.

The girl shifted and kicked her feet a bit, like a little kid, which she was. Rose walked next to the Doctor and Cathica shook her head. "No. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to 500 except for the chosen few," she explained.

"That's weird," Cosmina mumbled against the Doctor's shoulder.

"I agree," he stated and carefully reached up, tugging one of her pigtails out of where it was caught between Cosmina's shoulder and his own.

"So, only those promoted have gone up and no one sees them ever again?" Rose questioned.

"Yeah. No one wants to leave. It is the best place to go. The walls are gold!" Cathica exclaimed.

Rose and the Doctor shared a look before Cosmina suddenly twitched. She let out a pained sound and thrashed a bit, holding her head. For a brief moment, her eyes were the amber color before they faded back to their deep grey. She sniffled and buried her head against the Doctor's shoulder, despite his questioning of what was wrong, Cosmina just clung tighter and cried.

/

They were back in the spike room with Cathica following them. Cosmina had stopped crying and mostly just clung to the Doctor, half-asleep. He walked around, staring at everything. "They only give us twenty minutes maintenance; can't you give it a rest?" Cathica demanded.

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" he asked as he settled in the chair, Cosmina now resting on his chest, while Rose leaned against the back of the center chair.

"I went to floor 16 when I first arrived, that's medical, that's when I got my head done, and then I - I came straight here. Satellite Five - you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all!" Cathica exclaimed, growing frustrated. She then paused and stared at them, before she focused on the Doctor. "You're not management, are you?"

"At last, she's clever!" the Doctor exclaimed.

Rose and Cosmina both felt satisfied as the Doctor began to press and question Cathica. He questioned Satellite Five, and finally finished up his argument with, "Trust me. Humanity's been set back about 90 years - when did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

"91 years…ago," Cathica responded and the Doctor nodded, as if this confirmed something he knew from the beginning.

/

Cosmina sat on the floor next to the Doctor as he scanned the side door. "You're not allowed to touch the mainframe, you're gonna get told off," Cathica, who was hovering around them, stated.

Rose, who was standing behind the Doctor, rolled her eyes while he asked Rose to tell Cathica to 'button it.' Cathica let out an annoyed sound and shook her head. "You can't just vandalize the place, someone's gonna notice!" she persisted.

Cosmina groaned and twitched her head to the side as the Doctor opened up the side door with a grin. He pulls out some wiring and begins to mess around with it. He twisted and pulled wires, grinning. Cathica shifted nervously as he continued to work, Rose helping along the way. Cosmina got to hold things. She was feeling a bit better by the time Cathica tried to walk away, again. However, she came back when the Doctor seemed to get fed up.

"I can't just leave you, can I!" she nearly shouted, though Cosmina was pretty sure the only reason she hadn't was because she wanted to keep her job.

Cosmina rolled her eyes while Rose turned and addressed the 'journalist' in the tone that showed her annoyance. "If you wanna be useful, get 'em to turn the heating down. It's boiling. What's wrong with this place, can't they do something about it?"

"I don't know, we keep asking - something to do with the turbine," Cathica brushed off.

The Doctor mocked her and she threw her hands up in exasperation. "Well, Idon't know!"

"Exactly! I give up on you Cathica! Now Rose, look at Rose!" the Doctor stated and Rose beamed. "Now, Rose is asking the right questions!"

"Thank you!" Rose stated, puffing up.

"What about me?" Cosmina asked, obviously feeling a bit put out.

"You don't know what questions to ask, and you're tired. That and the heat doesn't bother you. And for you, this is already so weird you don't know what was to be normal. We'll work on that. You're also nineish years old," the Doctor answered, fiddling with more wires.

Cosmina beamed. "However, why is it so hot?" he added, looking at the stuff, which lead to Cathica complaining about his changing concerns.

As the Doctor chastised Cathica, he accidently snapped some wiring. Cosmina grinned a bit and Rose chuckled as she shook her head. Cathica just looked even more annoyed than before.

/

The plumbing was wrong and channeling tonnes and tonnes of heat down. Something up there was big and incredibly hot. The Doctor stared over it curiously and glanced down at Cosmina. "What do you think?" he asked, looking over at the girl.

"I'm thinking I should have stayed asleep."

The Doctor chuckled and Rose looked at the little computer screen as well. "Well, I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm missing out on a party. It's all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?" she stated and Cosmina nodded.

"You can't. You need a key," Cathica reminded them.

"What's a key but a few codes? And I've got the codes right here. Override 215.9," the Doctor stated.

"How come it's giving _you_ the code?" the woman demanded.

The Doctor glanced at Cosmina, who was staring at the camera that was focused on them. "Someone up there likes me," he stated.

"Or wants you dead," Cosmina added.

"That's a pleasant thought," Rose murmured.

"Isn't it?" Cosmina questioned with a grin, before she yawned widely.

"I'm hungry and Adam has the credit stick thing," she added, carefully getting up.

"I'll get you another one," the Doctor muttered, carefully shutting the panel.


End file.
